"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." - Romans 10:8-10
This may seem simple to you - but I make no apologies for simplicity. I have told people in the past that I am living proof the God is kind to dumb animals! Sometimes God shows me things that, when shared with others, they say, "Of course" as if they had thought it through already and I was just catching up! So here it is. My epiphany.
For anyone to be saved, they must believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. You can't convince someone of that truth. It is not my words, from my mouth, that reveal this eternal Truth. That revelation comes from God the Father through the Spirit? And you are thinking, "Of course. Everyone knows that." But my question is, does everyone believe that. Or do you believe that someone else's salvation actually depends upon you? Think about this discourse between Jesus and His disciples.
"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 16:13-17
Did you catch the source of the revelation that Peter proclaimed? Yep - it was God. The people had gotten it wrong - thinking in human terms and coming to logical, reasonable conclusions - logical with respect the best that men could come up with.
If someone does not fall to their knees and cry out to Jesus when you share the Gospel, are you ever concerned that you might not have been convincing enough? That somehow you have failed as a Christian? As if someone's salvation actually depended upon you, your intellect, your effort and determination. I was re-reading John chapter 3. In the first part, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus telling him that knowing things, adhering to traditions of men is not enough. Nicodemus was trying to understand spiritual truth by human reasoning and education. Being born again, a second time, made no sense to him. It was then that Jesus told Nicodemus that He, Jesus, was the Christ.
"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" - John 3:12-15
Wait a minute! Didn't Jesus say that God revealed the truth of who Jesus was to Peter?
"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" - Hebrews 1:1-3
There is the point when we each are born again by the Spirit - like Nicodemus - by faith in Jesus. Jesus told Nicodemus what must happen. "in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" That Nicodemus must believe that Jesus is Lord - the Christ - the Messiah - the Son of God. As a continuation of the conversation Jesus told him what ever Christian knows if they know no other verse in the Bible - John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
To know what Paul said in Romans that you must know to be saved - that who Jesus is must be revealed to you by God just like it was revealed to Peter. That takes the burden off of us that we must somehow convince someone of the truth of who Jesus is. In fact - only God can reveal that truth to a person. And when that happens, it is like a light switch was turned on. At one moment I did not know and the next moment I did. I was blind but in an instant I could see the truth and embraced it. I was lost and didn't know it until that moment in time. Incredible isn't it.
My hope is that this sharing of my simple "epiphany" will help you to trust in and depend more on God and less on yourself as you share the Gospel whether by word or deed or both. You do your part and allow God to do His.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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